


the icarus to your certainty

by thewayofthemandalorian



Category: Prospect (2018)
Genre: F/M, Implied/Referenced Sex, Inspired by Hades and Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Kissing, Love, Love at First Sight, Persephone Goes Willingly With Hades (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:13:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26933410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewayofthemandalorian/pseuds/thewayofthemandalorian
Summary: You were raised mostly away from society by an upper-class uncle, who pays little attention to you. Ezra owns a bookshop in town. Both of your lives change when you meet by chance when you decide to venture away from your house while your uncle and cousins are gone for the weekend. A Hades and Persephone inspired story.
Relationships: Ezra (Prospect 2018)/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 33





	the icarus to your certainty

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back with another Ezra story! This is a Hades/Persephone inspired story. It's not a direct re-telling and it has a twist to it as well. The fic title comes from Hozier's song Sunlight. 
> 
> Warnings: Kissing, references to sex, isolation, arranged marriage, language.
> 
> Find me on tumblr @thewayofthemandalorian

The sun shone with extra brightness this morning. Slowly, as it peaked its way over the horizon, your eyes fluttered open. You sighed as you took in the sunrise through your open window. In the street below you, you heard the tell-tale sign of the world waking up. People bustling to and fro, getting to work, starting their day, walking their dogs. You envied them. **  
**

It was Friday, which meant you had the place to yourself for the weekend. Every weekend without fail, your uncle and your cousins, with whom you lived since you were a young girl, would gallivant off to some event on Puggart Bench, and leave you here in the Ephrate. You liked it that way. Sometimes, you had wished to go with them, to see what all the fuss was about, but every time your cousins Adrienne and Diana returned to tell you what had happened, you were glad your uncle had left you behind.

It was as if you didn’t exist to your uncle. Oh, sure, he _knew_ that you were there. But in his eyes, you were not to be seen. It had been that way since you had been taken in by him when you were young. All he wanted you to do was “sit still and look pretty.” You weren’t sure if he was protecting you from being hurt or if it was his own way of punishing his late sister, your mother, for going and getting herself and your father killed. All you knew was that, here you were, young enough to yearn for adventure, a sense of belonging and yet old enough to be deemed too old to remain unmarried. 

Kevva forbid you remind your uncle that he, too, remained unmarried, and yet had two daughters that still lived at home. Granted, Adrienne was engaged to some lord over in Puggart Bench, due to be married in the late summer. Diana claimed that she was “beyond marriage” and didn’t need a husband to be great. You admired her strength. Her father had needed a lot of convincing, but once Adrienne had secured the engagement to Oruf, he seemed to settle down. 

Still, you wondered if he wasn’t secretly planning something for you. It was odd that you were insisted upon showing up to the events in the Ephrate and looking your best, and yet not being asked to be involved in anything else. He had conceded with Diana far too easily for your liking. 

Not wanting to think about it for a minute longer, you twisted slightly in your bed, shivering at the early spring breeze that floated in through your open window. It was going to be a nice day, but the winter’s chill still lingered in the air. You would be grateful for summer, your favourite season. Spring and winter on this planet could be so rainy and morose, so you were glad for the sun. 

It was early still. You glanced at the clock on your night table, which was overrun with books. Earlier than you thought. But you felt well-rested, ready to take on today. 

Your family usually left after breakfast, which, if it was according to schedule - and it was always according to schedule with your uncle - would be in about two hours from now. Idly, you stroked the fabric of your sheets, thinking about what you would do with your free time this weekend. Your uncle, despite having a sizable house by the Ephrate’s standards, did not have a staff, so you would have the house to yourself. It was nothing new for you, you were used to being alone. It was something that you enjoyed. Still, you wanted to venture outside of the house and the grounds. You had never been out in the town without anyone’s knowledge before, and most of the time when you went into the city, it was with somebody, usually your cousins. You usually tagged along, not adding anything to the conversation. 

At your age, that seemed ridiculous. It was ridiculous, as you had made it be known to your uncle many times before. It had fallen upon deaf ears. But still, you had followed the rules. You supposed you could break the rules. Nobody would know. Nobody knew you. Except for maybe one or two people outside of the household. 

Your mind wandered to the new bookshop that had opened on the outskirts of the city, near the forest. You had seen it on the tram ride home the last time you had been in that area about three weeks ago. It was a small bookstore, selling both new and used books. Uncle would never know, right?

You idled about in bed for another hour, enjoying the sounds of the town, the delightful breeze. The warmth of the sun. 

Then you got up. 

Meals with your family were either tense, inane, or both. Adrienne and Diana could not be more different if they tried. Adrienne was flighty and a gossip. She was short and blonde with a fair complexion. It was an unspoken thing, but you knew she did not like you. She had tried to explain that she was jealous of you as a child, and she had grown out of it, but you knew that was not the case.

Diana, on the other hand, was calm and quiet, but had a strength and a kindness that her sister lacked. Striking in a dark way, she was tall and lanky, towering over her sister. While she didn’t hate you, she pitied you, which you thought was worse. Like Adrienne, Diana tried to deny it, but you could tell from the look in her eyes that she pitied you. 

“So, niece, what do you have planned for this weekend?” your uncle asked around a bite of sausage, clearly trying to make conversation.

You hesitated for a moment. If you told him your true plans, he would put a stop to them, one way or another. You took a sip of your coffee. “Oh, probably the usual. Reading, drawing. That sort of thing.” Your uncle seemed pleased with that, giving a hum of approval. You didn’t notice the way Diana’s eyes glanced towards you for half a second. 

After breakfast, your uncle loaded up the truck, your cousins arguing with each other about something meaningless as they trailed after him. 

“Look after the house, niece,” he said to you by way of goodbye as he and your cousins got in the truck. You nodded once, wordlessly. If he saw it, he paid no attention to it, and drove off. 

“Goodbye to you, too, then,” you muttered to yourself, trudging back into the house. 

The door shut behind you with a resounding slam. It echoed through the halls. You wasted no time. Rushing upstairs to your room, you slipped into a pair of thermal tights (while the sun was nice, it was not a warm day) and shrugged into your coat. Before going back downstairs and out into the cold spring day, you double checked that you had enough money. 

You had no real reason to spend the money you had collected over the years. The allowance that your uncle extended to your cousins on a monthly basis was also extended to you as well, but yours was a smaller sum. You slipped your pouch of credits into your bag, exchanging it for your pair of fingerless gloves. 

Stepping out into the crisp air once again, you shut the door behind you and pressed the lock button on the front door. 

* * *

Ezra was faintly aware of someone licking him. His eyes opened to see his dog, showering him in affection. “Mmmm. Good morning to you, too, Birdie,” he said, giving the dog a scritch behind her ear. “Have I been neglectin’ to feed you?” he asked dramatically, sitting up in bed. “That simply will not do, girlie.” He gave her another scratch behind the ear before getting up from the bed. Birdie’s eyes followed Ezra intently, as if she wanted to say “You’re giving me food now, correct?” 

Ezra set the refilled food and water dishes on the floor next to the counter. “Go get it, Birdie,” he said, giving her another pet, before letting her eat. 

He had never expected himself to be the type to have a dog. But she had shown up one day, skinny and hungry. Ezra had tried to shoo her away, had told her that he didn’t have anything that she wanted. But when she had looked up at him with reproachful eyes that seemed to look right through him, he sighed in assent. It did his bookshop good. It made it more homey to have the mutt lying in a sunbeam as customers browsed. Cee, his employee and other stray Ezra had taken in, had really taken a shine to Birdie as well, telling him that “If you don’t take that dog in, I quit.” 

When he had opened the bookshop a few weeks ago, it had been something of a gamble. Not many people read physical books anymore, favouring digital reading instead. But so far, the gamble had paid off. Most still bought books for aesthetic purposes, but there was a percentage of people - himself included - that just preferred a physical book over a digital one. 

As he prepared for the day, having to cover for Cee - she had a springtime cold - he noticed that it was sunny. Taking that to be a good omen for today, Ezra pulled on his clothes, grabbed Birdie’s leash, and opened the door that led to the bookshop downstairs. 

The early spring sun filtered in through the windows, giving the store a nice glow in the mid-morning. Birdie found her little bed next to the register. Turning around a few times, she settled into it, falling into a doze quickly. Ezra chuckled.

Ezra hadn’t expected to open a bookstore, hadn’t expected to have a dog, or a kid to kind of take care of sometimes. If you had told him five years ago that he would be even a modicum of domesticated, he would have laughed in your face and told you that everyone knew that floaters like him didn’t settle down. Especially floaters who almost lost their arm in a dig gone wrong. That’s just not how things worked when you were a floater. Still, he had gotten out of that dig, and prospecting altogether after that last fateful dig. His employers had neglected to inspect him for aurelac or star stone or any other precious gem, making him not so wealthy to never work a day in his life (not that he wanted that) but enough so that he didn’t have to worry, even with a dog and a teenager that he sometimes looked after. 

Cee had been an interesting one. She had lost her parents to the prospect and was a floater herself in many ways. Although she had found her footing slightly through the help of friends and some distant relatives, she still lacked stability. Ezra had seen her one day a few weeks ago, just before the bookshop had opened. They bonded immediately. The offer of a job was only natural. If he could keep her out of trouble while also paying her, why wouldn’t he? While she had a place of her own with one of her friends, Ezra made it clear that his place would always be open for her should she need it.

Glancing at his wristwatch, Ezra flipped the sign on the door from closed to open. He had a good feeling about today. 

* * *

You stepped off the tram. The novelty of your current activities still had not worn off. It was kind of sad, too, you thought as you blended into the bustle of people. Everyone was walking at a different pace. Some were going quickly. Others were going slowly, taking their time. 

Still not quite too sure what the address of the bookshop was that you were going to, you figured it best to follow the crowd. You knew that it was towards the edge of the city, sort of out of the way. Finding your voice, you got the attention of the woman closest to you. “E-excuse me. Um, do you perhaps know where the new bookshop might be?” 

“Yes, I do,” the woman said. And kept walking. 

_Rude._

It looked like you were going in the right direction anyhow. The buildings were becoming more and more sparse as you followed the stream of people. Just then, something caught your eye. A storefront boasting new and gently used books. You had found it. 

Breaking away from the crowd, you made your way to the bookshop, a spark of excitement flowing through you. You walked up the steps and pushed your way into the store. The bell jingled as the door opened. 

There were books everywhere. Haphazardly organized. Divided into genres. A dog lay snoozing in a bed by the cash register where a man - you assumed the owner - sat. 

This was wonderful. You couldn’t help the smile that sprang to your face as you took it all in. 

At the sound of the door, the man looked up from his computer in your direction. Oh. 

He was tall. Rugged. A smattering of stubble decorated his face. Expressive dark brown eyes. Dark brown hair with a kiss of blonde in it. Just a touch. He was quite possibly the most beautiful man you had ever seen. 

It seemed as though the man was equally taken with you. “Hello, there,” he said, his accented voice a soft and slow melody. 

“Uh, hi,” you said. His eyes were locked on yours intently, as though memorizing you. 

“Is there anythin’ I can help you find?” he asked, as though suddenly remembering where he was. 

“Not in particular. I just … I haven’t been in here before, and I like books. A lot.” _I like books? Why else would you be here?_ you scold yourself internally. The man didn’t seem to mind. 

“So do I. If you need any help at all, just gimme a holler. My name is Ezra,” he said. He looked like an Ezra, you thought idly, before noticing his extended hand. 

You took his extended hand in yours as you told him your name. Giving his hand a soft squeeze as you shook it, you found yourself liking the feeling of his hand in yours. It was calloused and coarse. Likely from years of work. But it had a softness to it as well, you noticed. Ezra held your hand in his for a moment after the handshake had ended. 

The dog that had been asleep a moment ago was suddenly awake. It yawned before stretching out. Ezra dropped your hand from his. “I’ll let you browse.” You smiled at him before he tended to the dog that so clearly needed attention. Part of you wanted to go over to see the dog, but you didn’t know her, you didn’t know Ezra (even though his gaze had pierced its way into your very soul). 

You spent what seemed like hours browsing the store. At one point, the dog wandered over to you, demanding to be petted. Stooping down to be at her level, you gave her a friendly pet. “Hello, there, sweet girl. Hello,” you cooed. She licked your wrist. 

“Manners, Birdie,” said Ezra from the desk. He quirked a brow at you. “Usually she don’t take to strangers. Skittish thing,” he chuckled as Birdie gave you a lick on the cheek. 

You gasped theatrically. “A kiss? For _me_?” 

“All right, girlie, let sunlight here browse.” Your skin warmed at the nickname he gave you. 

You had selected three books - one new, two used - and couldn’t decide. As though reading your thoughts, Ezra strolled over to where you were standing, debating with yourself about which one to put back. “They’re all good,” he said, taking a glance at the titles you had in your hands. 

“Is there one you would recommend more than the other two?” you asked, meeting his piercing yet smouldering gaze. Ezra gently pried one from your grasp. _The Streamer Girl._

“This one’s an old favourite of Cee - my employee, that is. Kid could talk your damn ear off about it. And … let’s see. This one I quite like. It can be a touch pretentious at times, but that adds to the charm of it all. And Gatsby’s got good intentions,” said Ezra. 

“Not _great_ intentions?” you couldn’t help but tease.

Ezra just rolled his eyes as he chuckled at your bad joke. “That was bad. I’m making you pay double for that.” You laughed. “As for this one, I have yet to read it. Perhaps if you go with this one, you can give me a review of it the next time you’re in? That is, if Birdie and I haven’t scared you off?” 

Next time, you thought. “That sounds like a deal,” you said. Ezra smiled gently at you again and left you to ponder which one you would choose. 

Ten minutes later, you set the three books on the counter, plus another one, one that your mother had owned and had promised to read to you. Before… 

“Four?” Ezra’s amused tone rang through your thoughts. 

“I couldn’t decide. They all look so good. And the other one was one of my mother’s favourites.” Ezra patted your hand with his as he gathered your meaning before ringing you up. A gesture you appreciated. 

He told you your total, and as you slipped the correct amount of credits across the counter, your hands brushed again. It felt comfortable. Familiar. 

“Well, sweetheart, it was a pleasure meeting you. Please, let me know how you enjoy that book,” said Ezra, sliding the books over to you. 

“I will,” you promised as you tucked the books into your bag. You paused at the desk for a moment, crouching down to give Birdie another pat on the head. 

“I hope to see you again soon.” Ezra gave you a nod. 

Hesitating for just a moment, you said, “I hope so, too. This is my first ‘adventure’ by myself, and I had a rather enjoyable time.” 

“And you decided to come and see me. Why I’m honoured, little bird,” said Ezra. You couldn’t hide the grin that made its way across your face. Just then, the door jingled open again, bringing in more customers. Birdie gave a short bark at the newcomers.

“I’ll, uh, I’ll let you get back to work,” you said. “It was so lovely to meet you, Ezra. And I’ll be sure to read the one you haven’t first so I can let you know what I thought.” 

You stepped out into the cool afternoon sun, sparing one final glance behind you at the man who is currently helping two people find books on a topic you think Adrienne would be interested in. 

* * *

She walked in sunlight. 

That was the first coherent thought that Ezra had when he first laid eyes upon her when she walked into the store. She was commanding, yet unsure of herself. She had a gentle strength to her that he admired. 

Her beauty went beyond her physical appearance. When she looked at him, or smiled at him, or pondered his words and advice about which books to purchase, she had given it some serious thought. 

Her eyes spoke of a past. When she greeted Birdie and spoke about her mother, the flash in her eyes, a swift change in her mood told him all that he needed to know. Though he also knew that that loss only scratched the surface of that haunted, sad look that danced in her eyes. 

Ezra had played it off when she said that this was her first adventure by herself. Something wasn’t right with that, he thought. It wasn’t his place to judge. And he wasn’t judging. Not her, anyhow. It didn’t sit right with him. She clearly came from money, given that she hadn’t so much as blinked when he told her how much her four books were going to cost her. 

He didn’t want to pry. He would attempt to figure it out if he could. That is, if he could ever find a way to ask her about it without appearing tactless. Ezra didn’t want to offend her. And he wanted to see her again. Desperately, if he was being honest with himself. 

As the day progressed, Ezra’s mind kept wandering back to her. Her smile. Her gentle way. The way she had laughed at her own silly joke about one of the books she had bought. He hoped she liked the books she had gotten. He hoped that she liked him. Though, based on the way she gazed at him, and met his looks with looks of her own, he didn’t think he had to worry too much. 

Ezra went through the motions that day. Working. Reading. Taking Birdie for a walk after closing the store. Making dinner for himself and feeding Birdie the scraps from his plate (he spoiled that dog, and he didn’t even so much as try to deny it). 

He went to bed early that night and dreamt of the woman who walked in sunlight for the first time. 

* * * 

You devoured the book you had promised Ezra to read first. From the moment you returned to the house, sitting down on the couch in the sitting room until you finished it, hours later, you thought of nothing else. Your eyes burned from exhaustion as you reached the final pages of the novel. It had pulled you in immediately. Stopping only to eat, you couldn’t put the book down otherwise. You would have to tell Ezra as soon as possible that he must read this book. 

When you weren’t thinking about the book, you were thinking about Ezra. He was handsome, you knew that. And you knew that he knew that. He was kind. A bit rough around the edges, you thought, but you liked that.

You’d had a few romances before, but you had never experienced such strong feelings so soon after meeting someone. He probably had a woman, you thought aimlessly as you shut your lamp off for the night. Even though you were tired from staying up late to finish the book, your mind was still on Ezra. His eyes. His smile. That one tiny patch of blonde hair in a sea of brown.

You hoped your paths would cross again soon, so that you may speak with him. Tell him about the book you had just consumed in an afternoon and evening. 

Waking earlier than you anticipated the following morning, you couldn’t fall back asleep. It was raining lightly. Though your eyes were no longer burning with exhaustion, they were still heavy with sleep that you couldn’t seem to find. You needed coffee. 

Being terribly inept at making coffee, you opted to go to the cafe that Diana had taken you and Adrienne to one day a few weeks ago. If you remembered correctly, they knew how to make good coffee there.

When you finally dragged yourself from the warm embrace of your sheets and blankets, you threw on whatever clothes you found first that didn’t take much effort to put on and were also warm. The air had a bit more bite to it today than it did yesterday, winter still reluctant to turn to spring.

Not many people were in the cafe on this wet, chilled morning. As you sipped on your coffee, you pulled out _The Great Gatsby_ from your bag, deciding to at least start. So engrossed were you that you almost didn’t hear Ezra. 

“Sunlight! Well isn’t this fortuitous. What brings you out on this dreary day?” His smile was infectious. He was carrying two cups, a tea bag string peeking out the top of one. He gestured to the empty seat across from you, you nodded. 

“I was up late reading and needed coffee when I woke up this morning,” you said, tucking your book back into your bag. Ezra nodded.

“A calamity I face often, myself,” he offered conspiratorially, taking a sip from the non-tea drink. “I couldn’t help but notice that you were readin’ Gatsby just now. How are you likin’ it?” 

Taking a sip of your own coffee, you shrugged. “I’m still too early to tell. It is a bit pretentious, like you said, but I think that adds to the charm of it. I read that one book you didn’t know whether to recommend or not.”

“And?” 

“It’s so good. I read it maybe in two sittings yesterday. I think you’ll really like it,” you said. Ezra hummed in delight at this. 

Not being able to help himself, Ezra blurted out, “When you said that yesterday’s jaunt to my shop was your first “adventure of your own” …” You sighed internally. Looking into his eyes, though, you saw no judgement in them. Only curiosity. Was he trying to figure you out? you wondered. With a delighted chill going down your spine, you realized that yes, he was trying to figure you out. And that you wanted him to figure you out. 

“Oh, that. Um, yes. Well. My uncle doesn’t like me being out in society. Unless it suits him. Apparently I’m too fragile for the world or something?” You tried to remember a conversation you’d had with him when you were seventeen. It hadn’t made sense then, and it didn’t make sense now, nearly ten years later. Ezra frowned, trying to piece everything together in his mind. 

“Then how did you manage to make it to my neck of the woods? Or here?” 

You took a sip of your coffee. “Oh, they don’t care what I do in their absence. They don’t really care at all. Or notice me. My only job is to sit still and look pretty.” You rolled your eyes, trying to tamper the feelings of anger you had towards your relatives. “I know I should be grateful for him taking me in after my parents … But I’m a grown woman. And it’s fucking ridiculous. Like, I don’t know if he’s trying to protect me? If that’s the case, I don’t know what he thinks he’s protecting me from. He’s not like that with his own daughters.” Exhaling slowly, you stopped talking, suddenly noticing Ezra’s hand on yours. “I hate it there,” you said quietly. “I’m biding my time until I can find a way to leave.” 

Ezra smiled wanly before changing the topic. He couldn’t stay long, not wanting the tea he had picked up for Cee, still nursing her cold, to go cold. Ezra was easy to talk to. He was curious. Witty. Generous, even, when it came to conversing with you. You wondered if he was this generous with everyone in conversation. 

After what seemed too short a time, Ezra stood. “Well, sunlight, as much as I enjoy your company, I must return this tea to the kid. I hope to see you again soon. Do not be a stranger.” He took your hand in his, and lifted it to his lips, kissing your knuckles slowly. His gaze held yours for a long moment as he released your hand from his grip, relishing the expression on your face. 

Before he could leave, you blurted out, “They go to the Pug every weekend.” He gathered your meaning instantly.

“Then I shall see you next Friday?” There was a tinge of hope in Ezra’s voice. It matched the own hope you felt. You nodded, skin burning warm at the departing look he gave you. 

The rest of your weekend passed uneventfully, and when your uncle and cousins returned from the Puggart Bench the following Monday, you told them you spent the weekend reading. It wasn’t necessarily a lie. You had spent the weekend reading, and spending time outside the house without their knowledge. 

* * *

It became a routine of yours in the weeks that followed. Your uncle and cousins would depart for the Puggart Bench, and you would find your way to Ezra’s bookshop. Cee had immediately taken to you when you had first met her, claiming that she liked you when you mentioned you had finished and enjoyed _The Streamer Girl_. Cee was a nice girl. You’d put her at about seventeen if you had to guess. She and Ezra got along famously from the little you saw of them. Even if you didn’t buy anything, you both enjoyed each other's company. 

He told you of his time as a prospector. About how he had almost lost his arm nearly five years ago after a dig gone bad. How he had come to the Ephrate with stolen gems and no other prospects. In return, you told him of what you remembered of your parents before they had died. The way your life had changed so completely overnight. Your frustrations about being ignored. Ezra never once ignored you. Not ever. To ignore you, he had said to you once, would be to ignore the sun and the moon and the stars.

You were falling for him fast. It was obvious that you had it bad for him. Even Cee could tell, her knowing smirks as you conversed with Ezra not going unnoticed. Ezra, it appeared, fully reciprocated. 

There had been many times when you had been speaking with Ezra at the bookshop where you had noticed that his gaze flickered to your lips before returning to your eyes.

How desperately you wanted to kiss him. Every time you or he leaned in to close the gap between the two of you, you were always interrupted by something: a crackle over the radio, Cee coming out from the backroom, Birdie needing attention. Or, worst of all, a customer coming in. 

At this rate, you were sure you would never be able to kiss him. It had been months since you had first met him. 

One Thursday afternoon, your uncle surprised you at a rare lunch with all four of you present. “Prepare yourselves for tomorrow, ladies. Our annual fundraiser and raffle is happening at the hotel tomorrow.” You schooled your expression to remain vaguely curious.

 _Of course, the fundraiser_. You had completely forgotten. It would be the first Friday that you wouldn’t be able to see Ezra in three months. 

You fretted the entire evening, trying to gauge what was going to happen with Ezra when you showed up next week after being absent with no word. 

The fundraiser and raffle was fun, you had to admit. It was one of the few social events you were able to attend. Every year, money was raised from the raffle and from donors for a different upstart company, usually one involving the arts in some way or another. 

As you entered the hotel ballroom, your relatives speaking with an old family friend just outside, a familiar figure stood at the bar, talking genially with the bartender. 

_Ezra_? 

“Sunlight!” he said jovially, crossing the room to come greet you. Sparing a glance around you to make sure no one you knew was near, you slipped your hand into his. He lifted it to his lips, his dark gaze never leaving yours. You always enjoyed the tickle and burn of his scruff.

“What are you doing here? I thought … I was so sure I wouldn’t see you for another week!” you whispered. 

“My shop’s the company they are philanthropizin’ this year,” replied Ezra, a proud grin on his face. Someone called his name, a reporter, you thought. Ezra pressed one more kiss to your knuckles before excusing himself. And with perfect timing, too. When you turned around, you saw that your uncle and cousins were just making their way into the ballroom. 

They barely acknowledged you as you led them to your seats, save for an odd look from Diana that you couldn’t decipher. Your heart thrummed in your chest when you saw the name card at the seat next to you. 

Ezra played the part beautifully when he was introduced to you, more of an afterthought than anything to your uncle. Little did your uncle know that you had loved this man for going on three months. 

Wait. _Loved this man_. The revelation didn’t exactly bowl you over. But the casualty with which you realized it did. As though it was like discussing the weather. Matter-of-fact. An unreputable truth. You looked at Ezra, trying to convey what you felt through your gaze. He met your eyes with a gaze of his own. Mercifully, everyone else at the table was too engrossed in discussing the aurelac rush from a few years ago, and whether or not it was making a comeback. You could tell that the discussion was grating on Ezra, having had enough to do with aurelac for many lifetimes. 

You squeezed his hand under the table discreetly. He slipped you a piece of paper as your hand pulled back. Making sure you weren’t noticed by anyone other than Ezra, you unfolded it. 

_Meet me in the alcove after the speeches and dessert._ Ezra was looking at you intently. You nodded once. 

The event organizer got up on stage just then, pulling everyone’s attention to him. He began a long, boring speech about the importance of art and culture. Finally, finally, he called Ezra to the stage. 

While the organizer’s speech had been long and dry, Ezra’s was surprisingly succinct. He talked briefly about his admiration and love for reading and how he often found solace in bookstores in his youth. He mentioned Cee, he thanked the people for believing in his idea enough to raise funds for it, and then he was finished. 

People mingled after that, especially your relatives, leaving you alone at the table. Taking one last fortifying sip of your drink, you made your way to the alcove above the ballroom. You had never been to the alcove before. And you could see why he chose it. It was probably the most private place he could find that was not off-limits. 

You waited a moment or two, before Ezra was before you, mere inches away. “Sunlight,” he said as you reached out to cup his cheek. “Please do not tell me I am wrong in assumin’ that you share the same affection I have for you.” Sweet man that he was. 

Your heart swelled with affection. You stroked his cheek, the faint scar just beneath his eye. Ezra leaned into your touch, turning his head in your palm so that he may kiss it. 

“No, Ezra. You are not wrong. I … I love you, Ezra. I have loved you since the moment I met you.” Your voice was not much more than a whisper, but he heard you just fine. 

“My sunlight. My love. May I … Can I kiss you?” Like he even had to ask. You nodded and, before you could even so much as blink, his lips were upon yours.

Ezra’s kiss was nothing short of divine. His lips were soft against yours, yet hungry. Months of longing were put into this kiss. You never wanted his lips to be too far away from yours ever again. “I love you,” he said hoarsely, as you parted for breath. You pressed your lips to his again, needing to feel his lips against yours. 

“Ezra,” you sighed as he broke from your lips, roaming your face with his mouth as you spoke. “I love you,” you repeated. 

Pulling Ezra into your embrace, the two of you stood there like that for what seemed a short eternity. Every so often, he would press his lips to your hairline, a kiss to your lips. How badly you wanted to go home with him, so that you may know him. 

Ezra sighed against your hair. “As much as I loathe to be away from your company, I must go and play the part of gracious beneficiary.” You nodded against his shirt, reluctantly pulling your arms from around his back. He kissed you, almost chastely this time, before fully pulling away from you. “I’ll see you soon, my sunlight,” he promised. 

As you left the fundraiser later that evening, your uncle fixed you with an odd grin before saying, “I’m going to be spending more time at Puggart Bench in the next few weeks. Adrienne and I must set up the wedding for her. Your heart soared with excitement, especially when he told you that he was taking just Adrienne and Diana and would be departing in two days’ time. 

* * *

To say that Ezra was surprised to see you on a Monday would be an understatement. Still, he did not complain as you practically leapt into his arms, shortly after his store opened. You kissed him languidly, enjoying the scratch of his beard tickling your skin. The soft yet hungry roam of his lips against yours. His tongue sought entrance into your mouth, and you opened for him, letting his tongue dance with yours. You loved kissing that man. 

A strangled noise broke the two of you apart. Cee stood behind you, staring in disbelief at the two of you. “Really?” she said, trying to keep the amusement out of her voice. “Get a room, you two, seriously.” She went back into the storage room, muttering about how you were worse than a pair of teenagers. After a moment of stunned silence, you and Ezra burst into laughter. 

“Hi,” you giggled against his lips, giving him one more peck. Ezra smiled against your lips. 

“Hi yourself, sunlight. What brings you to my humble abode?” he asked, stroking your arm. You smiled at him as you told him that your family had left for their estate in the Pug, leaving you to your own devices more often than usual. You planned to take full advantage of that. “Well, then, sunlight, I shall have to assist you in your endeavour then.” 

You kissed him again, carding a hand through his soft hair. “I think that can be arranged.” 

“Seriously?” Cee said from behind you, having returned from the back room again, a crate of new books in tow. You smiled sheepishly at her before dissolving into laughter again. 

And so, as summer waned, you and Ezra began to spend more time together. You had yet to become fully intimate with Ezra, although it wasn’t for lack of trying. Both of you knew that it was something on your mind. 

As you spent time with Ezra, either by strolling around the Ephrate after the store had closed, or helping him in the shop, or just simply sitting with him and reading (your favourite was when he read aloud to you, his hand entwined in yours, save for when he had to turn the page). It was comfortable. It was nice. You wanted this to be your everyday life. Just being with him. Having a life of normalcy. 

One day, at the end of August, while you were standing in the bookshop, your lips millimetres away from Ezra’s as you were discussing what to do that evening, someone completely unexpected arrived.

You jumped away from Ezra as though being burned upon hearing Diana say your name in surprise. “D-Diana!” you gasped. “What are you doing here? I thought you were going to be in the Pug for another few days!” 

Your cousin’s eyes narrowed as she took in what was in front of her. “I forgot to pick up something before leaving the other day, so I had Father return me. What’s going on here?” 

No lie or excuse was going to cut it with Diana, so you stayed silent. “Just … don’t tell uncle,” you said softly. Diana’s features softened for a second. 

“I don’t even know what I would say to him if I did tell him. But he’s looking for you, apparently he has some news for you.” You shared a rueful glance with Ezra. Kissing him lightly on the cheek, you reluctantly followed your cousin down the road. It had started to rain. 

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” said Diana as you walked towards the truck. “Because Father will not like it if he finds out. Not one bit.” 

“You’re not going to tell him are you?” You chewed the inside of your cheek in worry. 

Diana turned to face you. “No. I’m not.” Relief flooded through you. Diana was many things, but above all, she was a woman of her word. If she said that she would not do something, she would not do it. “I’ve had my suspicions for a while though. You need to be more careful.” 

That threw you for a loop. “How long have you known?” 

Diana laughed suddenly. “Dear cousin. You are not as subtle as you think. You are lucky that Adrienne pays so little attention to anything that is not her and that Father is too absent-minded with you to care.” The words, although she did not mean them to, stung. “I had my first suspicions when we returned from Puggart Bench that one time in March. And then again when he was at our table at the benefit. The way you looked at each other was so screamingly obvious to anyone with a pair of working eyes and functional brain. And then the way you snuck off for half an hour. Were you …?” Diana trailed off. 

“What? No! No, we haven’t … done that yet,” you said, embarrassment lacing your voice. 

“Do you love him? Don’t answer that. Of course you love him. A blind person could see that.” 

You answered her anyway. “I love him. He loves me. We’re happy. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been this happy, Diana. Or felt this alive. I feel like I have a purpose when I’m with him.” 

Diana’s face fell slightly. “I know. And that is entirely unfair of us to have treated you the way that we have.” 

Though the question was on your lips, waiting to be spoken, you already knew what the answer would be. There was no _why_. That was just how your uncle was. You knew that this was just a platitude meant to keep you calm. Diana was good at those, too. 

Diana escorted you the rest of the way to the truck. Your uncle was not there. “He’s at the house. Last minute details he needed to iron out.” 

The drive was filled with silence. You had expected Diana to grill you with questions, but she had said all that needed to be. 

“I found her, Father. She just needed to pick something up,” said Diana. You flashed her a grateful look. 

“Ah, yes. Niece. Come in, come in.” Your uncle ushered you into the study where he sat at his desk, shutting the door behind you for privacy at his gesture. What neither of you knew was that voices carried from this room even with the door shut, and Diana had not left the other side of the door unattended.

This was the first time you had been in your uncle’s study. “Too long you have been unmarried.” Whatever it was that you had been expecting, it wasn’t this. “You remember Lord Damon who made his riches in the aurelac rush?”

A pit began to form in your stomach as you realized where he was going. You nodded wordlessly. Damon was cruel. Crass. Unkind. You had met him once at a state dinner about a year or so ago, just before he had been made a Lord. He made your skin crawl with his lecherous grins and his hard eyes. 

“I have been in discussion with him for the past month, and it appears that he is looking for a wife. Which is good for us, because it will strengthen our connection with his country.” A buzzing filled your ears. It felt as though your brain had been replaced by cotton. 

“Uncle, please. Not him, please not him,” you whispered piteously. Your uncle ignored your pleas. 

“On top of that, we will be relocating to the Puggart Bench. I am returning there this evening to solidify the deal and begin the process of establishing the house there as our permanent residence.” Your heart sank to your stomach. No. You stared dumbly at him for a moment. He chuckled. “Dear thing is overcome with excitement!” He shooed you then. 

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur. Nothing registered. The buzzing remained in your ears, blocking any coherent thought from being known. Not even when your uncle had left after dinner, which you had pushed around your plate.

What else you didn’t know was how Diana had crept back out during your discussion with your uncle, making her way to the bookshop. 

* * *

Ezra was pacing back and forth across the floor of the shop. Cee’s eyes followed him across the shop. “If you keep pacing any more and you’re going to have to replace the floor,” said Cee, trying to ease his tension. It didn’t work. 

“You go on home now, kid. No one’s going to be out in this flood. Birdie and I will hold down the fort for another hour.” 

Since she had left with her cousin earlier that day, Ezra knew his days with her were at an end. From what she had told him, her cousin was a calculating woman. He just hoped that her uncle would not retaliate. 

Ezra loved her. She was the sunlight to him. Everything light and warm and good and kind, and he was lost to her, willingly, completely. He had loved her from the moment she had decided to purchase four books from him all those months ago. She was in his every waking thought. It was like he had known her before he had met her. His soul connecting to hers. 

He knew it would kill him to be apart from her, and her from him, but that was the reality that he had to face now that they had been discovered.

So lost in thought was he that he hardly registered that her cousin had returned.

“What are you doin’ here?” Ezra asked, more harshly than he intended. Diana put her hands up in a gesture of peace. 

“She’s been betrothed to someone. Lord Damon.” Ezra groaned. He remembered Damon. They were just _giving_ lordships to anyone. Before he could say anything, Diana continued. “My father does not know about the two of you, but he is returning to the Pug this evening, in about -” she checked the clock, “two hours. Take of that what you will.” She moved to go back out into the rain.

This confused Ezra. “Wait. Why are you doin’ this? Why help us?” he asked, “when you have done nothin’ but cause my sunlight pain?” he snarled. 

Diana gave an apologetic look and stepped out the door.

* * *

Hours after your uncle had left, you sat at your mirror, head in your hands. The rain continued on outside As you were contemplating what to do, there was a grunting noise from behind you. Someone was climbing in through your window. 

“Ezra!” you cry, crossing the room to take him into your embrace, not at all minding how he was dripping wet with rain. He leaned his face into the crook of your neck for a moment. “What are you doing here?” 

“I heard - I had to -” Ezra pulled back slightly to face you, holding you at arm’s length to take you in fully. His eyes sparked with emotion. “I came to take you away, sunlight. That is, if you’ll have me.” 

You exhaled, pulling him back into your embrace. “Of course I’ll have you. I love you.” You kissed him, whispering words of love against his cheek as your lips landed wherever they could. Your kisses were hungry, filled with things that you didn’t know how to put into words. 

“Sunlight,” Ezra said against your lips. 

“Make me your wife, Ezra,” you whispered against his ear, your double meaning clear as you pressed a sloppy kiss to his jaw. 

“Sunlight. Know that there is nothing more that I want to do than to make love to you. But when we cross that Rubicon, I want it to be when time is not of the essence. I want to take my time with you, my love.” The promise of his words sent a shiver down your spine. 

With some level of difficulty, you followed him down the house, the rain and your pack with the books and few sentimental items you could not be parted from, slowing you down slightly. As you landed on the porch, you caught Diana standing in the window. Panic spread through you. But she gave a small smile and a nod, easing your anxiety. 

_Had she…?_ But you had no time to figure that out as you were joined by Ezra a moment later. He took you by the hand, leading you to a speeder bike that was parked out of the way so as not to be seen. 

As you drove through the rain away from the house you had known for so many years, you began to feel relief. Joy. You were free. 

Ezra led you through the bookshop through the exterior, not minding about the rain that you trailed behind you. “Up the stairs, sweetheart.” He followed you close behind as you walked upstairs. 

What met you was an apartment. A woodstove sat in the corner of the living room, next to a squashy looking couch. A pile of wood was stacked neatly beside the stove. Birdie lay sleeping on the floor by the couch. Beside the kitchen was his bedroom. A bed large enough for two was pushed against the wall, a bookshelf opposite. 

You felt Ezra’s gaze upon you, warm and filled with unspoken things. “Let’s get you out of these wet things, sunlight.” He helped you ease out of your rain-soaked dress, threw it to the floor, completely forgotten about. Ezra took you in slowly, appreciatively. 

“Your turn,” you whispered with a shy grin. The two of you stood before each other, a lamp burning lowly on the bedside table. Ezra’s tan skin appeared golden in the low light as you took him in. Then your lips were on his and you had collapsed into the bed. “Ezra,” you said between kisses. 

“I know, sunlight. I know. Let me take care of you,” he said, pressing his lips to yours again. 

The following morning you woke slowly, an arm wrapped around you tightly, holding you close. Your thoughts turned to the night before, a delicious ache between your legs a reminder of the night’s activities. You had blossomed for Ezra as he took his time with you, showing you just how much you meant to him. As he moved against you, you realized why all the poets had spoken about it so. You loved this man, and showed him in your own turn just how deep your love for him ran. In his arms, as he had his way with you, and you with him, you felt truly, completely at home.

You turned slightly in his arms, wanting to face him, this man that you loved so completely. He looked peaceful in sleep. You pressed a kiss to his bearded face. He smiled gently, stirring from sleep. “G’morning, sunlight.” Ezra pressed a kiss to your ear. “Where were we?” 

Much later, you sat in his bed, your legs twined with his, when you spoke. “Marry me.” 

Ezra, a man known for his verbosity, was at a loss for words. “C-come again?” he said. 

You pressed a kiss to his bare shoulder. “Marry me, Ezra. I love you. Make me your wife. In the other sense of the word.” 

Ezra’s face broke into a wide grin. “My sunlight. Yes. You wonderful, amazing, astounding, beautiful woman that you are. The love of my life. Of course I will marry you.” He sealed the promise with a kiss and held you tight as you laughed with joy.

* * *

One year later, you found yourself with Ezra at the market, your hand in his. You weren’t meant to be out at all today. Both you and he had “called in sick” that morning. Cee had seen right through it, disgust and amusement ringing through her voice over the radio when she realized why Ezra’s voice was strained. But you had run out of food, and you needed something to eat. 

The two of you hadn’t waited long to get married. You wanted to get married right away. It was a quiet wedding, just you and the officiant, with Cee as your witness. It had been the happiest day of your life. Now, a year later, and you couldn’t picture your life any other way. 

When your uncle had discovered that you had left, he had put out a search party, but since no one knew who you were, it had been called off quickly. That week you hadn’t even so much as dared to leave the apartment. But it was different to when you had lived with your uncle and cousins. You had Ezra and Birdie. 

Your days were filled with purpose and joy. Most days you helped out in the bookstore. No one knew who you were, since the details from your missing persons report were vague at best. You spent your nights cozied up with Ezra. Your favourite nights were the ones where he would read to you in bed, his lips never far from a swatch of your skin. It was perfect. You were happy. 

Your gaze fell suddenly to two familiar faces. That of your uncle and cousin Diana. Your uncle stared at you, not recognizing you. You looked physically the same, though gone were the fine dresses and makeup. Instead you wore simple clothes (Ezra’s actually). You were happy. Diana, on the other hand, recognized you.

Giving her a nod of gratitude, you turned to Ezra who had returned with a bag of food. You took his hand in yours, pressed a kiss to his knuckles. “Let’s go home.”


End file.
